Sawtooth Spire erbärmlich

outings were treasured delights for the lamb, and today she was especially excited when her father plied her from the den with promises of adventure. thade was asleep, along with the rest of the household. they tiptoed out; she had to be hushed as she could barely contain her laughter.
howevermuch the little perle adored mama, one-on-one time with her papa made her heart flutter like an angel’s pinion; their bond was ironclad, and a new joy was moulded each time they made a discovery together—most usually in the woodlot close by home. 

in these times, papa had explained mama could not join them as often what with the foundling present. he’d used a word, amme; wet-nurse, to justify her cloven attentions. mama had to give her milk to the child that Was Not Her Sibling. that was that on that.
possibly milk-kinship would have developed, but for her family’s reception of him phaedra only felt resentment leave a scorch mark on her soul. i’m bad, she often whispered inside herself. if papa knew how she felt about the boy, if he knew what childish wickedness she disclosed to the girl inside her, his love for her would go away (she was sure of it), and the thought of that wrought such agony in her heart she held it all inside like a breath that turns your face from normal to blue to purple.

today, it was a sunshiny forenoon, and giggles feathered up from her breast once mahler set his daughter loose to thread her own course through their sylvan courtyard. she flit about with glee, pointing out anything she could put a word to. ”lods ov dwees,” the bairn noted, her nose turning over leaves and rocks as they (she) made a recce of the greenwood. "an lods ov flowders. dhese awe papa flowders." she gossiped to the world, seemingly heartened by a bush of lilacs blooming in full amongst the undergrowth. 

she startled when an insect sprung from the bush. she drew back, watching as it jumped to a tree. ”oh! ids jusd a cwicked!” she informed her papa, in case he was unaware of such insects. she continued to sniff the ground, humming a quiet melody to herself when two large paws joined her path.
she looked up and reported with laughter; ”papabaw's god big feed!” she nipped at his toes, seeking to engage him in play, but his cursory glances towards something in the wood abruptly set her interest burning. 
a spring buck stood in the bottleneck of the thicket, riveting at the pair. phaedra drew in a sharp breath, her steps whispering against the leaves as she moved backwards 'til her shoulders were wedged securely between her father’s forelegs. he did not seem alarmed. she was very alarmed. 
the velveteen spikes protruding from its head made her eyes grow wide. ”wys on ids head?” she murmured.